International opens tourney with win

ROBERT AVERYravery@hcnonline.com

Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, June 15, 2008

When International Little League last won a District 17 Minors tournament, the league came out of Pool 3, they opened pool play with an easy victory and they were the visitors in that opening pool contest.

Hmmm, something may be afoot, just like it was in 2003 when International last won the crown.

Friday night at Gary Field, another International Little League squad was competing in Pool 3, went home with an easy victory in their opening pool contest and they were the visitors in the game.

Eleven International Little League players scored runs and three drove in two or more runs, while taking advantage of nine Deer Park errors as the team rolled to a 14-1 Pool 3 victory.

International actually scored 18 runs, but the game came to a halt after manager Hector Mexicano’s club scored four runs in the top of the fifth. Deer Park didn’t bat in the bottom of the inning, so the score reverts back to the last full inning.

International threw its hat in the ring as a candidate for district championship honors, based on its play Friday night. With two more pool games, International just had to win one of the two in order to clinch a berth to this week’s single elimination tournament. The team opposed Pan American Saturday night, before it finishes pool play against Deepwater at Patterson Field on Monday night.

Deer Park, last year’s district champions, must sweep Saturday and Monday or it’s done.

International pitchers Carlos Betancourt, Danny Velasquez and Angel Campos combined on a two-hitter, while striking out two and walking six.

International’s defense didn’t commit an error and the players did an excellent job of knowing where to go with the throw when the ball was hit to them. That’s why four of Deer Park’s opening ten outs were outs on the basepaths.

As for that offense, International wore out the bases. Alex Cuevas, hitting in the 11th slot, went 2-for-3 with a team-high three RBIs. Campos went 2-for-2 with a double and triple, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Velasquez went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Gabe Gonzalez scored twice as did Josh Rocha, Jorge Chapa, Shay Boynton and Eady Salas. Clean-up hitter Justin George drove in a run and scored once and Miguel Campos scored once.

A case of tournament-opening nerves afflicted Deer Park because the team couldn’t hold onto thrown balls in the first inning. Four errors and four walks allowed International to score the maximum of five runs without the benefit of a basehit. Gonzalez, Valasquez, Campos, George and Chapa crossed home plate.

Cuevas’ first RBI along with a Velasquez two-RBI single highlighted a four-run second inning, but George also tacked on an RBI with the inning’s fourth hit.